Vascular endothelial growth factor before and after locoregional treatment and its relation to treatment response in hepatocelluar carcinoma patients

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in hepatocellular carcinoma patients before and after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) and its relation to treatment response. Methods: A total of 40 patients with unrespectable hepatocelluar carcinoma were assessed clinically. Twenty patients were suitable to be treated by TACE, while other 20 patients were treated with PEI. Serum VEGF levels were measured before and 1 month after each procedure by ELISA. Response was assessed after 1 month according to Union Internationale Contre le Cancer evaluation criteria based on change in tumor size as measured by ultrasound. Results: There was no significant difference between TACE and PEI groups with regard to age, sex, tumor size, response to local therapy, or VEGF and alpha-fetoprotein before and after therapy. VEGF levels after TACE were significantly higher than before TACE [(298.1 ± 123.6) pg/mL vs. (205.8 ± 307.3) pg/mL; P = 0.001]. Also, VEGF levels were significantly higher after PEI than before PEI [(333.8 ± 365.6) pg/mL vs. (245.3 ± 301.8) pg/mL; P = 0.000]. Non-responders of both groups had significantly high VEGF levels than responder's, both before [(985.0 ± 113.2) pg/mL vs. (117.1 ± 75.3) pg/mL; P < 0.001] and after therapy [(1330.6 ± 495.7) pg/mL vs. (171.0 ± 94.7) pg/mL; P = 0.000)]. Conclusions: Both TACE and PEI were associated with an increase in serum VEGF in hepatocelluar carcinoma patients. Higher levels of VEGF before and after therapy were found in non-responders, suggesting that VEGF is a useful marker in predicting treatment response.

Keywords

• Hepatocelluar carcinoma
• Vascular endothelial growth factor
• Percutaneous ethanol injection
• Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization